Handicapper Tips & Picks

Someone will win this race. 5-MARK MY MEMORY seems most likely. He finished in the money in his last couple while his rivals have been finishing up the track. 1-DRUMCONDRA ran out of gas in both starts but he in dropping in class to make his local debut. He looks like the quickest of these. Might last on the lead. 4-AVERYZDAY, like Drumcondra, ships in from Iowa. He’s been splitting slightly better fields. Seems to figure with these.   

This race is filled with versatile runners so it’s hard to project how the pace will set up. All but one member of this field is capable of going for the lead but who will? 4-ELI'S PROMISE could be the quickest of these. It helps that he’s been in good current form. He hasn’t raced in about 10 weeks and his workout pattern has been a bit iffy during that time but at his best he can beat these. 3-CLYDE'S GREEN GO seems to be the best closer in this speed-filled race. He finished behind top choice the last time they met but the pace of this race could be even stronger than their last contest together. 2-STREET WARRIOR is in great form. Has two wins and two narrow losses in his last four starts. But he is going to have to fight many to hold onto the lead in this spot. 1-KING CAB won a stakes race earlier in the meet but seemed a bit off form lately. However, if he can return to that previous form, he’s going to be a top contender in this race. 

Going to take a little flyer here with 6-COPPERJACKET. I like the way he’s been working in preparation for the first race of his career. His barn sports a 42%-win average with runners making their turf debut. Might be able to surprise. 7-UNION CAIT and 8-MR IN PERSONAL are likely to draw the most action. Union Cait has had one race, on dirt, and the speed figure he generated towers over any set by any of his rivals that have started. Mr in Personal has also had one race, a turf race at Canterbury, and he finished second by a rapidly-diminishing head. 4-KETCHUM has been training expectedly well for turf maven Chris Block. He’ll also draw plenty of action and could very well deserve it

5-RUMBLING has been steadily improving since moving to this barn and dropping in class. It’s like he started gaining confidence. In last, his third race for this barn, he crushed rivals, winning by 11 lengths. Obviously a race at this level is much tougher but his improving speed figures, including that in his last race, suggests that that he could be a force to be reckoned with in this spot. 2-EL MUCHO was a non-threatening fourth on turf in his last start but he did finish in the money in his prior two races on dirt. He’s back on the main track for this and keeps the leading rider in the irons. 6-VERRAZANOINTHESKY turns back in distance. He finished far back in his two-turn race but he had been in competitive form sprinting prior to that start, finishing with a win, a second, and three thirds in his previous five races. 

Have to go with 4-KELLY'S GIRL though not convinced she’s the fastest of these. However, she did win two of her four local races this year and was either on or right off the lead in those races. She’ll have to deal with other speed and she hasn’t won beyond five and a half furlongs but maybe she’ll put the rest away. 7-SULTRY KITTEN owns pretty good speed but like the closing move she displayed in her last two main-track races. If the projected quick early pace materializes, she could run by them all. 2-TRE DITA is hard to caught. She did win her lone race but not by much and that race took place at Delta. Still, she is trained by Rivelli. Can not ignore. 8-SMOKED, the other Rivelli runner, might be the quickest of these. But, she has been running of gas a bit at the end of recent races. 6-DREAM NAP ran very well in her main-track races. She was both last year and was narrowly beaten in her last start. However, it’s been over a year since her last race and it’s possible she might need one. 

4-JOE THE TAILOR meets his easiest field ever. He’s quick if he needs to be but his ability to just press the pace and then finish with authority makes him the pick in this spot. 6-ZOOMBIE has been in good form for months. He finished in the money in last five, including two wins during that span. Like that he’s a proven commodity on courses that are softer than firm. He’ll be racing a bit farther back than top choice but he might finish even stronger. 2-MAHONEY ROAD was overmatched in last but he won two races back, the last time he ran at this level. 9-CANE CREEK ROAD, like the top pair, is likely to be tracking the early pace, though he might be a little quicker than they and if he moves first, they might not be able to run him down. 

4-ROAR OF SILENCE can win right back. She only won her last start by a couple but it could have been by many if they wanted to do that. She won three of her five races at similar distances. The pace will set up. Flies by late. 3-MISS RIVER RAT, from the same barn, is another likely to finish well. She has generally faced better rivals. She keeps top rider in the irons. She’ll probably be favored and could easily deserve it. There appears to be plenty of speed in this race but think 5-FACTOR THAT will be the quickest from the gate. Has a legitimate chance to lead all the way.